CISPA Author Ramps Up The FUD: Claims He Can't Sleep At Night Due To 'Unusual Source' Threatening Us

from the oh-come-on dept

Rep. Mike Rogers, who introduced CISPA, the infamous cybersecurity bill that was absolutely horrible when it came to privacy, is apparently trying to ramp up the FUD to get CISPA back on the legislative calendar, despite the Senate's decision to go in another direction (which eventually stalled out). In a new interview, he talked mysteriously about new threats from "unexpected sources" and even claimed he couldn't sleep at night because of them. But -- shh! -- he can't really talk about specifics:

"We think there might be one last shot here -- maybe I'm just an eternal optimist -- to get this thing sparked back to life."

Driving the interest, he said, has been a series of briefings for key legislators "on what appears to be a new level of threat that would target networks from -- I've got to be careful here -- an unusual source."

Rogers has been giving fellow legislators a "glimpse" of this new danger. "I figured if I can't sleep at night, why should any other member of Congress?" He declined to describe the threat, citing the highly classified nature of the information. "I look really bad in orange -- those orange jumpsuits with the numbers on the back," he said to laughter.

It really was just a few days ago that we wondered if the government was going to start using stories of "new threats" to try to ram through legislation. That's basically been the plan all along. Tell scary ghost stories, none of which have any actual facts behind them, until people feel compelled to pass the bills. What's never mentioned is whether or not any of this is effective or a reasonable response. Also missing: any discussion of what is the actual problem being solved today. Rogers' CISPA bill, for example, focuses on information sharing, but fails to explain why the necessary information sharing is being blocked today, or why the bill can't just target the few issues that block such info sharing.

Of course, at the very same time that he's telling scary ghost stories about monsters in our wires keeping him up at night, he's absolutely livid that no one in the White House came to talk to him about their own plan for a cybersecurity executive order. So, apparently, we're all going to die in the night if we don't let companies and the government spy on us more easily... but the White House's plan to do something about that is "irresponsible." Right.

Reader Comments

Ssshhhh.. Be vewy vewy quiet...

He gives a clear hint of the threat, Mikey Osama Bin Masnick...

It's the Iranian textile industry! They plan to overwhelm us by invading our computers and forcing us to see hundreds of pictures of people in unfashionable orange clothing with the intent of driving us insane.

It is obvious we need CISPA to tackle that threat Mike Mohamed Masnick. Sheesh, stop with the terrorism apology will you?

Re: Re:

That actually makes sense until you realize that the government is afraid of the government so they want to be able to spy on the government more efficiently and the unfortunate byproduct of that is loss of civil liberty for the general public. Oh well, gotta break a few eggs to bake a cake.

The Republican Trend

Anyone else notice that there are a lot of things that are being said (and most likely done) to "protect" us, but for some reason or another we can't be filled in on the details?
Like the "plans" Mitt Romney has, they are so damn comprehensive and "good" they would instantly spawn disbelief.

Re:

How about,instead of passing laws, you take whatever is in dire threat from evil internet boogeymen and unplug it it from the internet? Sounds like taking the simple actions to protect stuff is better than being scared and hiding under your covers. Unless of course you're just trying to carve out a high profile job position, then the whole never ending battle thing works out better.

Re: An unusual source?

Re:

How about,instead of passing laws, you take whatever is in dire threat from evil internet boogeymen and unplug it it from the internet?

I think you'd have to be in a higher pay grade than a US Senator to propose something so radical, so audacious, so...reasonable.

Also, this same guy claims the US is losing the cyber-espionage war to China, Russia and the usual suspects, that we're heading towards - his words - a "cyber Pearl Harbor". Now, I'm no US Senator so I'm sure this is just a wacky idea - but how about NOT outsourcing our most advanced technology to be assembled by those wascally Chinese? Sure, they have tiny hands and work cheap, but they're our enemies, right Mr. Rogers?

Re: An unusual source?

Frightening Revelation Forthwith

"on what appears to be a new level of threat that would target networks from -- I've got to be careful here -- an unusual source."

I know! This threat .. (ahem) comes from a concentrated mass of coordinated and cunning stunts. .. or was it .. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I must find a way to infiltrate this coordinated mass, and soon.

[this space intentionally left blank]

Anyone else find it exceptionally ironic that the same guy who talks "mysteriously about new threats from 'unexpected sources' and even claimed he couldn't sleep at night because of them" also said "maybe I'm just an eternal optimist"?

Re: Re: An unusual source?

a man who tells half-lies...

Maybe I'm becoming paranoid, but this looks like an umbrella he's offering to others in Congress. The American people have shown themselves to be amazingly susceptible to the We-Can't-Show-You-The-Evidence-Cause-It's-Classified argument over the last few years. If Rep. Rogers is taken seriously, he can push this legislation without fear of public outrage, and if he can be seen to be taken seriously then he can offer that immunity to others who may want to join him.

So he feeds meaningless statements to the public, in order to get an irrational public reaction, which he can take into back rooms to barter with, and none of it really has anything to do with the legislation he's pushing, which he doesn't actually care about, and which will cost the public dearly long after he retires.

Botnets

Rogers has just discovered botnets. He has been talking to his mates in the security services, who have also just discovered botnets. They are scared witless by all these crooks out there running botnets, some of them government sponsored, some of them organized crime. Check the log on your broadband router, if you are not sure. As anybody who bothers keeping up with the computer security scene knows, botnets have been around for years and years. They are a problem for the careless and stupid, but not much for anybody else.

His security mates do not want him to talk about botnets because they have made pathetically poor progress in dealing with them. There are plenty of things that could be done about botnets, but governments worldwide have not done them. They do not want anybody asking any awkward questions about the lack of runs on the board.

Re:

Total twaddle

A little scaremongering never did anyone any harm. That must be his theory. From a UK viewpoint, this looks yet another case of a politician going his own sweet way and representing Big Industry - NOT the people who actually put him into office. Why does the American public stand for these buffoons? Vote with your feet.

Re: Re: Re: Re:

It's disgusting that these politicians can run around spreading FUD without citing any evidence since it's classified, while those who actually do the work and know the truth can't speak up since they can end up like Bradley Manning.

Hint: On the government operations side it's all about money, and on the political side it's all about staying in power.

I couldn't sleep either...

USG is the enemy

The only threat Americans face is from "our" Federal Government and its Zionist paymasters. Americans better wake up; we're all about to find out what it is like to be Palestinians because we're all about to be living under the totalitarian boot of total Jewish supremacy and domination. RIP USA. Israel, Israel Uber Alles.